But Benjamin insists that ‘Fluffy’ is the best option for a photograph with him as he heads into the massive sea of black and white milkers which parts for him.
“She is so quiet and lets me scratch her,” he said.
“But she’s right up the back.”
The name Fluffy comes not from any shaggy coat, but from her reputation for “fluffing around”.
Benjamin is in his second year at Kyvalley Dairy as part of the NFF’s AgCAREERSTART program and is one of many success stories of the scheme.
After completion of the one-year placement, Benjamin has now been employed full-time by the dairy.
He said there had been the usual expected challenges along the way, not least being his earlier diagnosis with ADHD.
“The appointment has been receptive to my needs and some structure in the workplace,” he said.
“Some of the new skills and responsibilities can be challenging, but it’s good to have a boss who works with me.”
His greatest interest so far has been in sexing dairy cattle offspring through artificial insemination, but that’s something he’s yet to do hands-on.
The 24-year-old has not come into the program straight from school, but from a working career that saw him move from welding to making caravans in his native Queensland, to now undertaking most tasks on a dairy farm.
“It was a good choice, I think, getting away from the hustle and bustle of Brisbane to a new environment,” he said.
“I have a few homesick stories where I am not able to show my family a newly born calf or other cool farm things, but I have adjusted easily with zoom meetings.”
Benjamin praised the NFF for the AgCAREERSTART program — now in its third year — for allowing young people to gain skills in any agricultural industry.
“It’s good to give young people a foot in the door and also get connected with peers so they can get established instead of just thinking “Oh, I am in agriculture, now what can I do?””
Benjamin came to the scheme with what he proudly describes as no experience.
“You can’t really count two weeks on my cousin’s farm.”
After wrangling a different herd into a paddock for grazing, we finally find Fluffy after a surprisingly brief search, but she is in no mood for tarting up for a photo.
Benjamin coaxes her with a few biscuits and apples, but Fluffy is determined to let him tell the story.
“They say I might be petting them a bit too much.”
There are plenty of willing models among the other 399 cows.
Benjamin has offered words of inspiration to young people who want to try something different.
“I would say to them that they should be going into ag because it’s such a fantastic industry, and there are so many different streams you can do from agronomy right through to vet science and there is a massive range of job avenues.
“Do the program, get some experience and see some awesome parts of Australia.
“Give it a go.”
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